Looks like Vlad's going in as an Angel. I'm a bit disappointed, but not really surprised, since he was tweeting nothing but Angels stuff last night. I guess he couldn't resist the chance to be the first-ever Angel in the Hall of Fame - plus the endorsement opportunities and the like that come with being a HOFer for a team that still exists, of course.

J.D. Martinez is throwing a fit because he wants more money than The Red Sox are willing to offer(5-Years, $125 million). Yet no one else is even remotely interested in him. So where is his logic in holding out? His only other option is signing an extension with the D-Backs, which not only defeats the whole purpose, but if he has a sour year, he isn't getting an offer like that again.

I'm all for this. I'm not sure how much time it would actually save once you account for (1) driving the cart from wherever it's parked*, (2) the pitcher getting in and out of the cart, and (3) the need to follow the warning track instead of having a pitcher walk/jog a straight line to the mound. However, it would just be fun.

* -- Guess based on Orioles experience -- The cart would have to be parked in/near the big garage in the right field corner. At Memorial Stadium, there was expansive space in the open end of the stadium and the outfield fence had large swinging gates in front of both bullpens. There is no extra room near the Camden Yards bullpen and the gate is only big enough for a person to walk through.

J.D. Martinez is throwing a fit because he wants more money than The Red Sox are willing to offer(5-Years, $125 million). Yet no one else is even remotely interested in him. So where is his logic in holding out? His only other option is signing an extension with the D-Backs, which not only defeats the whole purpose, but if he has a sour year, he isn't getting an offer like that again.

Baseball has a real problem on its hands. There's more high priced free agents than there are baseball teams that want to engage. I don't know how they fix it when this is happening in a climate where all the other changes you'd think would make teams take more risks such as the expanded playoffs and every team getting a huge payout from MLB Advanced Media aren't making a difference. Right now there's nobody interested in taking on a JD Martinez contract so they can maybe win 84 games

Only a third of the teams are actually trying and most of them are already staffed. The rest are either actively tanking because the Royals/Astros model is their only way to have a chance to win a World Series (See: Reds, Cincinnati), haven't started tanking but know they're not in a position to spend for JD Martinez, or are on the back end of their tank plan and can't deviate from what they've planned.

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Baseball has a real problem on its hands. There's more high priced free agents than there are baseball teams that want to engage. I don't know how they fix it when this is happening in a climate where all the other changes you'd think would make teams take more risks such as the expanded playoffs and every team getting a huge payout from MLB Advanced Media aren't making a difference. Right now there's nobody interested in taking on a JD Martinez contract so they can maybe win 84 games

Only a third of the teams are actually trying and most of them are already staffed. The rest are either actively tanking because the Royals/Astros model is their only way to have a chance to win a World Series (See: Reds, Cincinnati), haven't started tanking but know they're not in a position to spend for JD Martinez, or are on the back end of their tank plan and can't deviate from what they've planned.

There aren't that many "old school" GMs left to throw around money carelessly. These data-driven front office staffs aren't going to overpay.

Then again, the Kansas City Star's Sam Mellinger thinks the MLBPA holds some blame too.